Live, Love, Lead by Brian Houston

A book of daily readings from the Hillsong founder and senior pastor

Live, Love Lead – Your Best is Yet to Come
By Brian Houston
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN No: 978-1-473-64249-2
Reviewed By: Jeannie Kendall

I suspect I am not alone in finding it difficult to source material for daily Bible readings. I therefore was eager to read this book and so resolved to use it as it is intended – a book of daily readings.

The format is simple – a scripture (generally one or two verses), a thought by Brian Houston, a prayer, and then space (approximately a page) for our own notes. A promising start. It is aimed particularly at leaders.

Ultimately though, I found the book rather a disappointment. That said, it is difficult to pinpoint why. There is nothing wrong with anything he writes, though at times I struggled to relate to the stories – perhaps because of our very different life experiences. 

Certainly the balance is more his thoughts on leadership than looking at the biblical material. Hillsong, and their music, have contributed a great deal to the church and he comes across as a thoroughly decent man who understands the demand and vulnerabilities of leadership. I wonder perhaps if the format does not give him enough scope to write at a little more depth, relying slightly less on anecdote but instead developing his thinking on leadership.

Perhaps with devotional reading, which in essence it is rather than a teaching manual on leadership, it is about a particular book “scratching where we itch” at a specific moment. So sadly this will go back on my shelf, though who knows, I may pick it up at some future date and find it is exactly right.
 

Jeannie is co-minister of Carshalton Beeches Baptist Church